Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Thursday 16 December 1999

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a statement on the outcome of this week’s EC Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting.

Ross Finnie: I attended the Council of Agriculture Ministers in Brussels on 14 December as part of the United Kingdom delegation. The Council discussed a number of issues of significance to the Scottish agriculture industry.

  The Council decided on a 12 month postponement of the introduction of compulsory labelling of beef in the light of information that the majority of Member States were not yet able to implement the measure effectively. The precise legal form of the measure will depend on the terms of the European Parliament’s Opinion on the Commission proposal, which is expected to be available later this week.

  The Council also decided unanimously to defer for six months implementation of a 1997 Decision on Community-wide measures controlling specified risk material, pending agreement on a new Decision.

  The Council discussed changes to the level of export refunds for processed agricultural products and agreed that in future changes required to meet budgetary and WTO limits should be governed by a strategic and targeted approach rather than by across the board cuts in refund rates. It is intended that this strategy should be developed so that it can be adopted by March 2000 at the latest. UK Agriculture Ministers endorsed the Council’s proposed approach and expressed regret at the decisions taken so far by the Commission to apply across the board refund cuts.

  In addition, Commission Byrne reported to the Council on food safety matters, including the response to the dioxin crisis and the Commission’s plans for food safety more generally. Commissioner Fischler reported on the recent WTO Ministerial meeting in Seattle and on new Commission proposals for reform of the CAP cotton regime.

Beef

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the lifting of the beef on the bone ban and in the light of remarks made by Sir David Carter, the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, to the Rural Affairs Committee on 5 October 1999, it now intends to end the requirement for the spinal cords to be removed from ewe carcasses.

Ross Finnie: The requirement for spinal cords to be removed from ewe carcasses is one of a range of precautionary public health measures introduced in the wake of the emergence of BSE in the UK cattle herd. The requirement will be relaxed only when expert scientific advice indicates that it would be safe to do so. The current advice is that this measure should remain in place for the time being. The Executive will continue to be guided by such advice.

Caledonian MacBrayne

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any letters or other communications to third parties inviting views in connection with the appointment of a new Chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne and, in particular, whether the recipients of any such letter or other communications were (a) invited to respond in confidence (b) assured that their reply would be confidential or (c) given other advice as to whether their reply would or would not be treated as confidential and, if (c), what that other advice was.

Sarah Boyack: We have no plans to publish letters to third parties. The advertisement for the post of Chairman to Caledonian MacBrayne Limited stated that all correspondence would be treated strictly in confidence. This includes correspondence with referees. Referees were sought in respect of all candidates invited to interview. Referees were provided with the criteria for the post, which were agreed by Ministers at the outset, a background note on the Company and details on the role of Chairman. They were asked to report frankly on their view of the candidate’s suitability for the post and were advised in writing that any information provided would be treated in the strictest confidence.

Census

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1886 by Mr Jim Wallace on 20 October 1999, when the content of the 2001 census will be finally determined.

Mr Jim Wallace: Proposals will be announced when the draft Census Order in Council is laid before the Scottish Parliament shortly.

Education

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many secondary schools and primary schools, broken down by local authority, have asbestos in their buildings.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally.

Education

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken for the removal of asbestos from schools and to protect children, school staff and maintenance workers from asbestos in schools.

Peter Peacock: Local authorities are responsible for the management of school premises, and information about the measures they may be taking in relation to matters such as this is not held centrally. There is well established guidance on asbestos in buildings from a number of sources which authorities will take into account in considering the removal of asbestos from schools.

Education

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children with special educational needs attended mainstream primary and secondary schools in the years 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 and, of those children, how many attended (a) full time; (b) more than two thirds of the time but not full time; (c) between one third and two thirds of the time; (d) less than one third of the time and (e) all the time but in a special unit within a mainstream school.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The information requested has been placed in SPICe.

Education

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation exercises the Minister for Children and Education has initiated since 1 July 1999.

Mr Sam Galbraith: : I have issued the following consultation papers:

  


7 July 1999
  

Improving our Schools: 
  Consultation on the Improvement in Scottish Education Bill
  



14 July 1999
  

Consultation on the 
  General Teaching Council for Scotland
  



10 August 1999
  

Cultural Strategy
  



16 September 1999
  

Young People Leaving 
  Care: Consultation Paper on Proposed Transfer of DSS Resources 
  to Local Authorities
  



11 October 1999
  

Limited Consultation 
  on the Removal of the statutory basis of the Scottish Joint 
  Negotiating Committee
  



8 December 1999
  

Consultation on Pre-School 
  and 5-14 Assessment

Environment

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a report on the threat posed to the environment by the proposed open cast and landfill development at Greengairs in Lanarkshire.

Sarah Boyack: The report of the Public Local Inquiry held in June/July 1998 fully addressed all of the environmental protection issues associated with the extraction of coal by the open cast method. As with all PLI reports, copies are provided to those parties who attended the inquiry. The Planning Exchange in Glasgow also receive a copy which can be accessed by others who have an interest. Subsequent use of the site for landfill purposes did not form part of this planning application.

Environment

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what implications the bankruptcy of J.W. Soils, the company given the original planning permission for the open cast and landfill development at Greengairs, will have in relation to the original commitments given to the local community on planning gain.

Sarah Boyack: I understand that a contribution of nearly £100,000 to a Community Fund was the subject of a private arrangement between J W Soils Ltd and the Community Council. It formed no part of the planning considerations and will, therefore, be a matter for the Community Council to pursue with any alternative developer.

Environment

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to announce details and a timetable for the Strategic Environmental assessment of its policies, as outlined in the Programme for Government.

Sarah Boyack: We are closely involved with the development of the EU Directive on this matter which was discussed at the EU Environment Council which I attended in Brussels earlier this week. Many of the key elements of strategic environmental assessment will be taken forward by my Ministerial Group on sustainable development about which I shall make a fuller statement to Parliament in the New Year.

  The Council reached a common position on a proposal for a Directive for the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment (commonly known as Strategic Environmental Assessment). This would seek to provide a high level of protection of the environment and through integration of environmental considerations into plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development. This Directive is compatible with our Programme for Government commitment to introduce strategic environmental assessment for our Government programmes. We succeeded in ensuring that the scope of the proposed Directive is as clearly defined as possible.

  Two other common positions were reached. On a proposal for a second air quality Daughter Directive which will set limit values for benzene and carbon monoxide in ambient air to ensure a high level of protection for human health. We supported this proposal whose limit values are close to the targets we have already set in the UK’s draft Air Quality Strategy. Also, on a proposal for a Council recommendation to set minimum criteria for inspection tasks carried out at Member State level to ensure consistent application and enforcement of Community environmental legislation. The criteria were accompanied by guidance on ways in which their practical application could be monitored by Members States. We supported the proposal which will enable Scotland to continue a risk-based approach to inspections, raising the standard of environmental inspections whilst ensuring bureaucracy is minimised.

  Council conclusions were agreed on the Global Assessment of the Fifth Environmental Action Programme (which has been the framework of EU environmental policy over the last six years) and a set of Headline Indicators. The Assessment will inform the development of the Sixth Environment Action Programme which will set out the environmental priorities over the next decade. We conveyed our view that the Sixth Action programme should set future environmental policy within a wider context, where environmental, social and economic objectives are pursued in a mutually reinforcing way.

  A progress report was considered on the proposed National Emission Ceilings Directive which aims to limit emissions of acidifying and eutrophying pollutants and ozone precursors, by setting national emission ceilings (NECS) not to be exceeded after 2010.

  Finally, the Council received a Commission report on a chemicals strategy, following a review of the existing EU regulatory framework which has become increasingly complex. The aims of the strategy are to maintain a high level of protection of human health and the environment, to raise the confidence of the public in chemicals management and to ensure compliance with the regulations of the internal market. A Communication will be presented next summer setting out the options for a new comprehensive regulatory system and, to ensure a smooth transition, to speed up the current system for assessing chemicals currently in use.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those fisheries measures that will cease or be subject to budget reductions following the reduction in overall fisheries expenditure outlined in its recent spending plans.

Mr John Home Robertson: There is no reduction in fisheries expenditure. I refer Mr Lochhead to the answer I gave to his question number S1W-1888.

Fisheries

Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet representatives of the scallop farming industry and what items will be on the agenda.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Inshore Fisheries Advisory Group (SIFAG), agreed at its recent meeting to convene a meeting devoted to the ASP issue, early in the new year. In addition to the Marine Laboratory Aberdeen, the Sea Fish Industry Authority, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and fishing industry interests, which are all members of SIFAG, invitations will be sent to the Scallop Association, the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers, the Live Shellfish Traders Association and the Scottish Fish Merchants Federation. The meeting will look at issues such as the current ASP testing and monitoring regime, research into the causes of ASP, and future means of securing the long term sustainability of those businesses that have been affected by the ban.

Health

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government regarding the plight of the survivors of the UK nuclear weapons test carried out in Australia and at Kiribati between 1952 and 1963 who are resident in Scotland and, in particular, urge it to reassess previous decisions to refuse such survivors compensation and/or backdated pension payments.

Susan Deacon: The possible consequences of nuclear weapons tests are reserved matters.

Health

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the health implications of the study Mortality and Morbidity of members of the British Nuclear Tests Veterans Association and their families by Sue Rabbitt Roff of the University of Dundee, and whether it will contact each of the survivors resident in Scotland to establish the state of their health.

Susan Deacon: The possible consequences of nuclear weapons tests are reserved matters. All UK citizens are, of course, entitled to receive NHS treatment for whatever ailments they have.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is being provided for the NHS Direct initiative due to be piloted in Scotland next year.

Susan Deacon: £2.5 million is available over the next two years for the NHS Direct initiative to be piloted in Scotland.

Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to fund research into the causes of asthma and its care and what plans it has to lower the rising incidence of asthma.

Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of the Scottish Executive Health Department is currently funding two research projects on asthma treatment with a total value of nearly £0.6 million. Details of these studies are available from the National Research Register (NRR), a copy of which is in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

  The CSO also allocates some £29 million annually to the NHS in Scotland for research and some of this will be used for asthma-related research.

  The main focus of the section on children's health in the 1998 Scottish Health Survey was on asthma.

  The Scottish Executive Health Department maintains contact with the National Asthma Campaign (Scotland), which receives grant support under section 16B of the NHS (Scotland) Act 1978, and from time to time issues general guidance on the treatment of asthma. Strategies for the day-to-day treatment of asthma are however a matter for health boards, which are funded to meet the health needs of all people in their areas.

  I will be meeting representatives of the National Asthma Campaign (Scotland) soon to discuss asthma issues with them.

Health

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of independence as the Scottish Health Technology Assessment Centre has to select its own subjects for investigation.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Health Technology Assessment Centre will be independent of Ministers and NHS management when selecting topics for assessment. Scottish Ministers may from time to time ask SHTAC to look at a particular topic, but whether it does so will be for SHTAC to decide.

Health

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether decisions on whether a drug or procedure is affordable in the NHS in Scotland are, and will continue to be, taken by the Executive rather than the Scottish Health Technology Assessment Centre.

Susan Deacon: The provision of health technologies are, and will remain, a matter for local decision by Health Boards.

  The Scottish Health Technology Assessment Centre will assist this process by providing a single focus for advice on the clinical and cost effectiveness of a particular drug or technology.

Health

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the Glasgow Maryhill constituency have applied to be considered for appointment to the Greater Glasgow Health Board or the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust in the last two years.

Susan Deacon: There have been four applications.

Health

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to reduce the number of beds blocked in hospitals and whether it will list those hospital trusts which are experiencing difficulties in delayed discharges.

Iain Gray: Discharge planning is a matter primarily for Health Boards, NHS Trusts and Local Authorities to ensure that people who no longer require acute treatment and care can be discharged into more appropriate settings. The NHS and Local Authorities work jointly to ensure that all continuing care needs are addressed before discharge. This joint working approach is the most effective means of achieving safe and appropriate discharges. Delays can arise for a variety of reasons and most NHS Trusts will experience delayed discharges. A key aim of the planning process is also to provide care and treatment to people in their own homes, where appropriate, to avoid admission to hospital.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost is per patient to health boards for lung transplants, including travel and sustenance costs to hospitals in England.

Susan Deacon: In the current financial year, the total value of contracts for lung transplants and combined heart and lung transplants for Scottish residents at transplant centres in England is £826,000. This includes the costs of assessment and follow-up visits for patients who have previously received transplants at these centres. The number of patients receiving lung or heart and lung transplants varies from year to year, but on average about 20 patients would be expected to receive transplants each year. The average cost of the agreements per transplant is £41,300. However, it should be noted that this includes the cost of assessment and follow-up visits for previous transplant patients.

  Patients and relatives who accompany them can claim travel and subsistence costs which will be reimbursed by their health boards if they are on income support. However, we do not have figures centrally for the expenditure by health boards on these costs.

Health

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all the findings of the independent review panel commissioned by Central Scotland Healthcare NHS Trust to investigate the alleged misappropriation of public funds by senior management of the Trust.

Susan Deacon: The report concerned was commissioned by the Trust and it is for them to decide the form and content of any information from the report which it wishes to place in the public domain. However, I understand the Trust has taken legal advice on issues concerning the former chief executive and that the Trust has issued as much information as it is legally able to do.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to list the birth and mortality rates and life expectancies for males and females for the years 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99, broken down by health board.

Susan Deacon: The information available is given in the following tables:

  


Birth and death rates, by health 
  board, Scotland, 1995 -1998
  



 


Birth rate1


Death rate2




 


1995
  

1996
  

1997
  

1998
  

1995
  

1996
  

1997
  

1998
  



Scotland
  

11.7
  

11.6
  

11.6
  

11.2
  

11.8
  

11.8
  

11.6
  

11.6
  



Argyll & Clyde
  

11.8
  

11.6
  

11.7
  

10.9
  

12.2
  

12.6
  

12.3
  

12.5
  



Ayrshire & Arran
  

11.1
  

11.0
  

11.1
  

10.8
  

12.3
  

12.0
  

12.7
  

12.1
  



Borders
  

11.0
  

10.7
  

10.7
  

9.8
  

13.2
  

12.8
  

12.9
  

12.6
  



Dumfries & Galloway
  

11.1
  

10.9
  

10.6
  

10.3
  

11.9
  

12.8
  

12.4
  

12.3
  



Fife
  

11.5
  

11.0
  

11.0
  

11.0
  

11.3
  

11.4
  

11.2
  

11.5
  



Forth Valley
  

11.6
  

11.6
  

11.5
  

11.5
  

11.1
  

11.7
  

11.0
  

11.0
  



Grampian
  

11.5
  

11.4
  

11.4
  

11.4
  

10.3
  

9.9
  

9.8
  

9.9
  



Greater Glasgow
  

12.2
  

12.1
  

12.1
  

11.3
  

13.1
  

13.0
  

12.7
  

12.5
  



Highland
  

11.6
  

11.4
  

11.7
  

11.8
  

11.7
  

11.4
  

11.5
  

11.5
  



Lanarkshire
  

12.0
  

12.2
  

12.1
  

11.8
  

11.0
  

10.9
  

10.9
  

10.7
  



Lothian
  

12.0
  

11.8
  

11.9
  

11.4
  

11.0
  

11.3
  

10.8
  

10.7
  



Orkney
  

11.6
  

10.9
  

11.3
  

9.9
  

11.9
  

11.6
  

12.0
  

12.5
  



Shetland
  

12.6
  

11.7
  

12.4
  

11.6
  

10.1
  

10.9
  

10.6
  

10.6
  



Tayside
  

11.1
  

11.0
  

11.2
  

10.8
  

12.7
  

12.9
  

12.4
  

12.7
  



Western Isles
  

10.4
  

9.7
  

8.9
  

9.8
  

14.8
  

14.9
  

14.8
  

14.1
  


 
1 
  Live births per 1,000 population 2 Deaths per 1,000 
  population
  



  


 


1994-1996
  

1995-1997
  

1996-1998
  



 


Males
  

Females
  

Males
  

Females
  

Males
  

Females
  



Scotland
  

72.0
  

77.7
  

72.2
  

77.8
  

72.4
  

77.9
  



Argyll & Clyde
  

71.0
  

77.2
  

71.2
  

77.3
  

71.1
  

77.3
  



Ayrshire & Arran
  

72.5
  

77.8
  

72.6
  

77.4
  

72.8
  

78.0
  



Borders
  

75.0
  

79.4
  

74.7
  

79.6
  

74.9
  

79.7
  



Dumfries & Galloway
  

73.7
  

78.8
  

73.9
  

79.1
  

74.2
  

79.0
  



Fife
  

73.1
  

78.5
  

73.4
  

78.8
  

73.4
  

78.7
  



Forth Valley
  

72.8
  

77.6
  

73.1
  

78.0
  

73.1
  

78.3
  



Grampian
  

73.7
  

79.1
  

73.9
  

79.4
  

74.2
  

79.6
  



Greater Glasgow
  

69.8
  

76.1
  

69.9
  

76.2
  

70.2
  

76.4
  



Highland
  

72.5
  

78.7
  

72.6
  

78.6
  

72.8
  

78.9
  



Lanarkshire
  

71.1
  

76.8
  

71.7
  

76.8
  

71.9
  

77.0
  



Lothian
  

72.8
  

78.1
  

72.9
  

78.2
  

73.0
  

78.2
  



Orkney
  

73.9
  

80.5
  

74.1
  

79.6
  

74.1
  

79.3
  



Shetland
  

71.9
  

79.0
  

72.1
  

80.6
  

72.6
  

80.0
  



Tayside
  

72.6
  

78.1
  

73.0
  

78.3
  

73.4
  

78.3
  



Western Isles
  

71.5
  

79.1
  

70.7
  

79.0
  

70.9
  

79.7

Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure the public health of the people of Shortlees, Kilmarnock, following the publication of the report by Bristol University human radiation effects group on 1 December 1999.

Susan Deacon: Primary responsibility for ensuring the public health of the people of Shortlees rests with Ayrshire & Arran Health Board, who keep the matter under continuing review. The Bristol University study looked at the possibility that airborne environmental pollutants may be attracted by the electric fields under high voltage power lines and might be related to the risk of developing cancer.

  Analysis of the numbers of cases of cancer does not indicate that the incidence amongst residents of the Shortlees area is more than that predicted from that in Ayrshire & Arran or in Scotland as a whole.

Health

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to ensure funding is available for the updating of equipment at the department of neurophysiology at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow.

Susan Deacon: The South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust is currently exploring options for the procurement of medical equipment for the Southern General Hospital.

  If a request is received from the Trust for capital funding to update the equipment at the department of neurophysiology at the Southern General Hospital it will be considered with other bids for capital funds.

Health

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to modernise the 999 emergency service by providing text phones for calls by deaf people.

Susan Deacon: 999 services are already equipped to receive text phone messages through Typetalk, the national phone relay service. I would urge any deaf person wanting this service to contact their local authority social work department who can provide assistance in obtaining such phones.

Health

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to require health boards to make better provision for sign language interpreters in respect of accident and emergency services.

Susan Deacon: Section 21 of the Disability Discrimination Act requires that people with disabilities are given reasonable access to goods and services and this includes all NHS services.

  A good practice guide to support the implementation of section 21 within the NHS in Scotland was issued to all Health Boards and NHS Trusts by the Deputy Minister for Communities under cover of a Management Executive Letter of 10 September 1999.

  This provides essential background and guidance for senior NHS managers with specific responsibility for advising on access for disabled patients to services and includes a section on deaf and hard of hearing people.

  A copy of the guide entitled Equality for disabled people in the NHS in Scotland and a training video about the needs of deaf and hard of hearing people using hospital services, which also issued with the guide, have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Health

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take to address the report of the National Audit Office on the Scottish Ambulance Service, particularly with regard to any shortcomings in Greater Glasgow.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive welcomes the NAO report on the Scottish Ambulance Service. We do not want to pre-empt the Parliament’s consideration of it. We are, however, committed to working to ensure that the people of Scotland get the high quality and rapid ambulance response in emergencies that they rightly expect from a modern and improved Health Service. We will look carefully at the recommendations addressed to us and the Scottish Ambulance Service and at what action is necessary.

Health

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that Fife Health Board and the Acute Services Trust reach agreement on a business plan for acute services in Fife.

Susan Deacon: It is for the Health Board and not the Scottish Executive to plan services in Fife. I look to the Board to consult locally and to work with all its planning partners, including both NHS Trusts in Fife, when considering the options for acute services.

Housing

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what numbers of Anti-social Neighbour Orders have been sought by each of Scotland’s local authorities during the period from the introduction of the legislation to the present date.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This information is not yet available. However, we have commissioned the Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland to monitor the use of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, as well as the extended powers of eviction for anti-social behaviour in the Act. The outcome of this survey should be available in March next year.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the First Minister has met with the Chairperson of Scottish Homes since May 1999.

Ms Wendy Alexander: As Scottish Minister with responsibility for housing, I have regular business meetings with the Chairman of Scottish Homes. The First Minister is not involved in these meetings but has met the Chairman on a less formal basis.

Justice

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many aggravated offences have been committed against the beneficiaries of community service work over the last five years.

Mr Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally.

Justice

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the Sex Offenders Act 1997 in relation to those prosecuted and convicted abroad of committing sex offences and, if so, who will lead such a review, which groups or individuals will be consulted and will the review be open to submissions from members of the public.

Mr Jim Wallace: We plan to review the implementation of the Sex Offenders Act next year, with a view to amending and strengthening its provisions. The issue of extending the requirement to register to sex offenders who commit and are convicted of offences abroad, together with sex offenders convicted here who travel abroad, will be considered as part of the review. We intend to consult the agencies involved in operating the Act, which includes the courts, the police, the prison service, local authorities, housing and health authorities. Consideration will also be given to wider consultation. As this is a United Kingdom Act, we will also be consulting the Home Office, who have commissioned a research report into the effectiveness of the Act in England and Wales which is due to be completed by the end of this year.

Justice

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the absence of the Lord Justice Clerk will have on the timescale for solemn appeals where the appellants are in custody.

Mr Jim Wallace: An additional Judge will take up post shortly to compensate for the absence of the Lord Justice Clerk on other business. I understand that this will enable the regular pattern of Appeal Court sittings to continue. An Appeal Court can be chaired by a Judge other than the Lord Justice Clerk.

Justice

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many women in the last year were offered civil legal aid and subsequently declined it; what the subject matter of these cases was, and how much money would have been involved if those women who turned down civil legal aid had been granted full civil legal aid without having to pay contributions.

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many men in the last year were offered civil legal aid and subsequently declined it; what the subject matter of these cases was, and how much money would have been involved if those men who turned down civil legal aid had been granted full civil legal aid without having to pay contributions.

Mr Jim Wallace: In 1998-99, the Scottish Legal Aid Board received 23,988 applications for legal aid, of which 14,811 (62%) were submitted by women. The table below shows the breakdown in initial decisions made by the Board:

  


 


All categories
  



Female
  

Male
  



Abandoned
  

8.0%
  

9.3%
  



Grant with Contribution
  

8.8%
  

9.8%
  



Grant Without Contribution
  

51.0%
  

39.5%
  



Refused Means
  

2.6%
  

3.7%
  



Refused Merits
  

21.9%
  

31.8%
  



Refused After Offer
  

7.8%
  

6.0%
  



  Of the 1,704 offers of legal aid which were "refused after offer", 1,151 were refused by women and 553 by men. A breakdown of the subject matter of these cases and the estimated gross cost to the Legal Aid Fund had these cases proceeded with legal aid and no contribution is shown in the table below:

  

 

Female
  

£
  

Male
  

£
  



Divorce
  

753
  

1,000,166.55
  

232
  

359,361.28
  



Other Family
  

224
  

380,973.52
  

213
  

337,342.62
  



Interdict
  

64
  

42,211.12
  

16
  

15,723.00
  



Debt
  

11
  

30,455.93
  

5
  

21,894.50
  



Reparation
  

47
  

225,082.31
  

48
  

234,039.98
  



Miscellaneous
  

52
  

73,753.86
  

37
  

66,160.82
  



Judicial Review
  

0
  

0
  

2
  

8,824.42
  



Total
  

1,151
  

1,752,643.29
  

553
  

1,043,346.62

Local Government

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1298 by Mr Frank McAveety on 13 September 1999, whether it is yet in a position to consider changes to the working practices and decision-making process of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland.

Mr Frank McAveety: No. The Renewing Local Democracy Working Group is not due to report until spring 2000.

Local Government

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to discontinue the practice of self-financing pay awards in local government.

Mr Frank McAveety: Local authorities are expected to meet the cost of pay awards within the total provision for Government Supported Expenditure, which will be £6,746 million next year, an increase of 3.7% over the comparable figure this year, and higher than the forecast increase in the RPI.

Ministers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available to the Parliament copies of all agendas, papers and minutes of the meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee.

Donald Dewar: Paragraph A1.11 of the Memorandum of Understanding describes the remit and structure of the Joint Ministerial Committee. It provides that "the proceedings of each meeting of the JMC will be regarded as confidential by the participants, in order to permit free and candid discussion. However, the holding of JMC meetings will be made known publicly and there may be occasions on which the Committee will wish to issue a public statement on the outcome of its discussions".

Objective 2 Eligibility

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used in determining that Castlemilk and Dennistoun wards within the City of Glasgow should be awarded Objective 2 status and that Toryglen and Crosshill wards should have Objective 2 status removed.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Structural Funds Regulations direct Objective 2 support towards areas undergoing socio-economic change. Assistance has to be concentrated on significant areas most affected, with due regard to national priorities. In this context the minor changes to the wards proposed in Glasgow I announced on 2 December were defined better to reflect these priorities, in the light of representations made to the Scottish Executive by Glasgow City Council.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional staff have been engaged and what unbudgeted staffing costs have been incurred since May 1999 in connection with answering parliamentary questions.

Mr Tom McCabe: More than 3,300 parliamentary questions have been lodged since May. This is about three times the comparable total for the previous year.

  The Scottish Executive’s expenditure plans for 1998-99 and 1999-2000 provided for an increase in staff numbers in its core Departments of somewhere around 250 staff, depending on grade mix. The increase in business relating to parliamentary proceedings, including parliamentary questions, is being handled by staff working in the relevant policy areas: additional staff have not been employed solely to prepare answers to parliamentary questions.

Planning

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its decision on the application submitted by Fife Electric for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to construct and operate a 400MW integrated cycle gas-fired power station at Westfield, Fife.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Ministers have decided to refuse consent for Fife Electric’s application. This decision has been taken after careful consideration of the Report of the public local inquiry into the application. It is founded on the Reporters’ recommendation that consent be refused, and particularly on their unresolved concerns about visual amenity and about the lack of environmental information available to the inquiry on the availability of process water, road and rail access, noise, potential safety hazards and decommissioning, which they considered could have direct, indirect and cumulative local effects on the environment. A copy of my Department’s decision letter will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Police

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funds will be made available to police forces in order that they can recruit and train new officers to replace those transferred to the new Drug Enforcement Agency.

Angus MacKay: We have made it clear that the costs of establishing the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency, of increasing the size of the Scottish Crime Squad and in strengthening force drug squads will be met centrally. Consequently, no additional resources will be required by forces to recruit and train replacements.

Prison Service

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the total number of personnel employed by the Scottish Prison Service in each year from 1979 until 1999 and the projected number of personnel in all future years for which figures are available.

Mr Jim Wallace: The table below provides the requested data to 1999. Future staffing levels are not projected, they will reflect the needs of the service.

  


Year
  

No. of Staff in 
  the SPS
  



1979
  

2,756
  



1980
  

2,887
  



1981
  

2,827
  



1982
  

2,835
  



1983
  

2,843
  



1984
  

2,937
  



1985
  

3,042
  



1986
  

3,249
  



1987
  

3,455
  



1988
  

3,499
  



1989
  

3,912
  



1990
  

4,109
  



1991
  

4,135
  



1992
  

4,540
  



1993
  

4,759
  



1994
  

4,619
  



1995
  

4,324
  



1996
  

4,575
  



1997
  

4,654
  



1998
  

4,856
  



1999
  

4,898
  



  From 1988 the data is based at 31 March.

  From 1979-1987 the data is based at 31 December.

  Part-time Medical Officers and Chaplains are included up to 1998.

Prison Service

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to reduce Scotland’s prison population, and if so, to what number and over what timescale.

Mr Jim Wallace: Scotland’s prison population will vary in line with crime rates, convictions and the sentences imposed by the courts. The Scottish Executive does not directly control prison population numbers, but does aim to provide a range of non-custodial sanctions for those whose offences do not merit imprisonment.

Public Appointments

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a gender audit of all appointments to Non-Departmental Public Bodies, by Body, which it has made since 6 May 1999.

Mr Jack McConnell: Appointments to Non-Departmental Public Bodies since 6 May 1999, by gender, are as follows:

  BODY   APPOINTMENTS   RE-APPOINTMENTS   TOTAL Male   Female   Male   Female   Executive NDPBs Crofters Commission   2   1 1   4 Community Learning Scotland   1   1   2 Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes:   Macaulay Land Use Research Institute   2 3   1   6 Moredun Research Institute   1 2 3 Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh   1 1 Scottish Arts Council   1 1 Scottish Conveyancing and Executry Services Board   3 3 Scottish Children’s Reporters Administration   1 1 Scottish Environment Protection Agency   6   2   2 10 Scottish Further Education Unit 1   1 Scottish Higher Education Funding Council   2   1   1 4 Scottish Homes   1   1 1   3 Executive NDPBs   Male   Female   Male   Female   TOTAL Sportscotland   1 1 Advisory NDPBs Central Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace (Scotland)   1 1 Justice of the Peace Advisory Committee (32)   1   3   4 Local Government Boundary Commission   2   1   3 Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards   1 1 Scottish Advisory Committee on the Medical Workforce   2   3   5 Scottish Records Advisory Council   4 4 Public Corporations East of Scotland Water Authority   2   1   1 4 North of Scotland Water Authority   4   2   6 West of Scotland Water Authority   3   2   1 6 Water Commissioner   1 1 Nationalised Industries Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd   1 1 NHS Bodies Argyll and Clyde Health Board   2   1   3 Ayrshire and Arran Health Board   1   1   2 Borders Health Board   1   1   2

  NHS Bodies   Male   Female   Male   Female   TOTAL Dumfries and Galloway Health Board   1   1   2 Fife Health Board   3 3 Forth Valley Health Board   1   1   1 3 Grampian Health Board   2 2 Greater Glasgow Health Board   3   1   4 Highland Health Board   1   1   2 Lanarkshire Health Board   2 2 Lothian Health Board   3 3 Tayside Health Board   2 2 Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland   1   1   1 3 Tribunals   Children’s Panels (32)   162   283   445* Rent Assessment Panel   2   3   15   12   32 TOTALS   227   311   31   17   586

  * In addition some 500 re-appointments were also made, breakdown by gender not available.

  I announced on 13 December that we will be reviewing targets inherited from The Scottish Office for increasing the number of women appointed to public bodies as part of a general consultation about public appointment procedures next month.

Rural Affairs

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates being able to provide farmers and relevant agencies with the necessary guidance on the implementation of Agenda 2000 measures.

Ross Finnie: As outlined in my statement of 7 December, my officials are now in the process of writing to every cattle producer in Scotland with outline details of the new beef schemes introduced under Agenda 2000. Full details of all new schemes will be provided as soon as they are made available by the European Union. My Department is about to go to consultation on the introduction of the Rural Development Regulation.

Rural Affairs

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why guidance on how the new Agenda 2000 measures will be implemented has not yet been issued.

Ross Finnie: I refer you to my answer to your previous question, and my statement of 7 December. Guidance had not previously been issued because final details of the various schemes had not been provided by the European Commission. However, outline details of the new beef schemes are now being distributed to all beef producers in Scotland, and final details of all new measures will be issued as soon as they are available.

Rural Affairs

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government about the closure of rural post offices and the potential for further closures.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government over a range of matters, including those relating to the Post Office. As Rural Affairs Minister, I am well aware of the importance of local post offices for many rural communities throughout Scotland. I have made it clear that I support the maintenance of an extensive rural post office network.

Trade

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, during its discussions with Her Majesty’s Government on the implications for Scotland’s trading position of any multi-lateral agreement on investment (MAI), it has expressed support for the aims of the Scottish MAI Coalition.

Henry McLeish: The negotiation of International Trade Agreements, including World Trade Organisation talks, is a reserved matter and consultations with interest groups are a matter for the UK Parliament.

  The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with DTI on trade issues and any future WTO talks and how these may impact on the Executive’s responsibilities.

Transport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that the discounting of the tolls collected on the Skye Bridge at double the rate of inflation will mean that the length of the concession will be extended by at least three years, and will give Skye Bridge Ltd an extra profit of £10 million.

Sarah Boyack: The contract signed in 1991, properly separates discounting and inflation. It provides that toll revenue collected each year is adjusted to 1991 prices using the actual change in the Retail Price Index and is discounted at 6% in real terms. Discounting is necessary so that the costs and benefits of a project are assessed on a constant basis. Six per cent is the Government’s standard rate of discount (serving as both a cost of capital and a rate of time preference for expenditure).

  The concession will end when the sum of £23.64 million (in 1991 prices, discounted as detailed above) has been collected in tolls, or after 27 years, whichever is sooner. Based on current usage the concession is expected to end between 2009 and 2013. The actual end date depends on income generated by future traffic levels.

Transport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from Highlands and Islands Enterprise on the consultation paper Tackling Congestion; whether it supports Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s suggestion that the value of the element of the fuel duty escalator collected in designated "extreme rural areas" be returned by Her Majesty’s Government to those areas to fund essential transport provision, and whether the estimated amount of such value is approximately £12 million per annum.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive has received a response from Highlands and Islands Enterprise to its consultation paper Tackling Congestion . A copy of this response has been lodged with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). The Executive is considering that response, and has taken into account the views of Highlands and Islands Enterprise and others in its regular meetings with the UK government on this and other reserved issues.

Transport

Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if there are trunk roads or motorways on either side of a bridge, responsibility for the bridge must rest with central government rather than a bridge board.

Sarah Boyack: The legislation relating to roads and bridges imposes no such requirement.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make decisions on each of the local authority PFI/PPP road schemes currently under negotiation.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is not currently in negotiations with the two local authorities who are leading the projects. Level Playing Field Support will be given provided that in each case a contract is signed before 31 March 2002 and the project is approved as a PPP scheme for capital consent purposes in terms of Section 94 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. The latter will be dependent on the local authority providing the Executive with a full business case and confirmation from their external auditor that the project is off the authority’s balance sheet.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Treasury in order to protect local bus operators in Scotland from the effects of any increases in fuel taxation.

Sarah Boyack: Direct contacts with Treasury Ministers and the Scotland Office ensure that Scotland’s interests are placed firmly on the agenda in Whitehall, on tax as on other matters.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the event that the proposed Public Private Partnership for the M77 Fenwick to Malletsheugh motorway cannot demonstrate value for money, it intends to fund the proposed stretch of motorway from its budget.

Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-2395.

  The Executive’s expenditure plans for the years after 2001-02 will be set following the review of expenditure programmes planned next year.